


Indiana's Legendary Thunderbird

by Brumeier



Series: Unexpected Discoveries 'Verse [8]
Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Alternate Universe, Community: ushobwri, Established Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Monster Hunters, Reality TV
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-19
Updated: 2015-10-19
Packaged: 2018-04-27 03:36:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,483
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5032243
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brumeier/pseuds/Brumeier
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>Congratulations to Ellery Miles and Melanie Germann, winners of the first ever Choose Our Adventure contest. Based on their suggestions for the MU team we’re here in southern Indiana to investigate accounts of a prehistoric bird, most commonly described as either a pteranodon or an Andean condor. Can such a creature have survived, and thrived, here in secret? Are reports of encounters with the thunderbird real? Or are people just getting…carried away?</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Indiana's Legendary Thunderbird

**Author's Note:**

> This is for [Monster Fest 2015 at the You Should Be Writing](http://ushobwri.livejournal.com/83556.html) comm on LJ, covering Evolutionary Throwback day.

_Congratulations to Ellery Miles and Melanie Germann, winners of the first ever Choose Our Adventure contest. Based on their suggestions for the MU team we’re here in southern Indiana to investigate accounts of a prehistoric bird, most commonly described as either a pteranodon or an Andean condor. Can such a creature have survived, and thrived, here in secret? Are reports of encounters with the thunderbird real? Or are people just getting…carried away?_

“Five hundred entries and _this_ is the one you pick.”

“We’re not still having this conversation.” Kyle gave Rodney a sour look. “We’re here, we’re doing this, so zip it already.”

“Clear blue skies,” John murmured when Rodney opened his mouth. Rodney grumbled but kept the rest of his scathing commentary to himself.

The contest had been Evan’s idea, a publicity stunt that had generated a lot of traffic on the MU website. Rodney had been more than happy to write an algorithm that pulled out keywords from the entries, combining duplicates and creating a comprehensive list. Predictably, there had been countless requests for another bigfoot investigation, and a return to Turkey to see if John might have another ghostly encounter. Suggestions had come in for the team to investigate the Jersey Devil, the Mothman, and ghosts around the world.

Kyle had chosen the thunderbird.

As Rodney had helpfully pointed out several times, the idea of a pteranodon surviving in secret in this day and age wasn’t logical, not with legions of birdwatchers keeping an eye on the skies. He suspected, and John agreed, that Kyle’s choice had more to do with Derek Barnes than anything else. The kid, who ran a supernatural vlog, had joined them on their Oklahoma octopus investigation and started corresponding with Kyle; kind of a mentor-mentee relationship. And then Derek had publically criticized Mysterious Unknown for the vague findings they had at the end of every investigation, which was a classic case of the pot calling the kettle black.

Rodney didn’t know what had caused the rift between Kyle and his young protégé, but Derek’s team had done a thunderbird investigation recently and it was obvious that Kyle was looking to show him up. Stupid pissing contest, is what it was.

“I never get tired of these small towns,” Laura said.

As always, the MU team was a very conspicuous presence as they made their way through Saffron, cameras rolling to collect some of the local flavor that Kyle liked so much. Rodney had no problem with that, actually, since it usually involved eating, and with their investigations running well into the night it was sometimes the only proper meal they got to enjoy.

Kyle’s eyes lit up when he saw a restaurant across the street from where they were walking, and he gestured for John to follow with the camera.

“We’re at the aptly named Thunderbird Café,” he said, standing beside a carved wooden totem pole topped with the bird in question. “Where we’ll fuel up for the upcoming investigation, and maybe get some first-hand accounts of the local legend. Time to turn on the Dorsey charm!”

Rodney rolled his eyes at that even though it was true. Two hours later they’d been well-fed and Kyle had interviewed the owner, one of the waitresses, and several patrons. The Dorsey charm. Now that was something that needed to be investigated.

*o*o*o*

Laura hung back at base camp with Rodney. She was skirting the edge of a migraine and trying to navigate the forest with just the light from the camera would’ve been too much. She’d commandeered Rodney’s camp chair, leaving him with only an equipment box to sit on. He wasn’t too happy about that, but he’d been on the receiving end of migraines a time or two so he didn’t grumble too much or too loudly about it.

Unfortunately Laura hadn’t lost her capacity for speech, even if she had to whisper to keep her own head from pounding.

“You and John seem to be getting pretty chummy.”

Rodney scowled, eyes never leaving the monitors in front of him. “Forget it.”

“I just think it’s nice, is all. He’s a good guy.”

He was, but Rodney wasn’t going to talk about John with Laura. Especially not with the web cam recording everything they were saying.

“He’s pretty hot,” Laura murmured. “Don’t you think?”

“I thought you had a headache?”

“As long as I sit here with my eyes closed I’m fine.”

“Probably be even better if you stopped talking, right?”

Laura nudged Rodney with her foot. “Come on, spill. You like him, right?”

Rodney flicked the webcam off. “I’m not discussing my love life with you and every MU fan online right now,” he hissed.

Laura cracked one eye open. “Love life? Oooh, do tell!”

_Kyle for base camp._

“Go for base camp,” Rodney replied, hitting the open channel on his earpiece.

_Do you have anything on camera three? I thought I saw something moving in that direction._

He studied the display for camera three, but all he saw were trees. “No movement that I can see.”

_Keep an eye on it, okay? Let me know if that changes._

“You know you can tell me,” Laura said. “I can play it cool. John will never find out.”

Rodney didn’t take his eyes off the monitor. “Play it cool? Ha! Who got escorted out of JibCon last year for scaring the actors?”

“They misinterpreted my enthusiasm.”

Rodney snorted. “Please. I’ve seen the YouTube video. It took two guards to pull you off Ackles. Best human octopus impression I’ve ever seen.”

Laura kicked him this time. “I was overwhelmed.”

“You were a spaz.”

_Anything yet, base camp?_

“Nothing on any of the monitors,” Rodney reported. “What did you see?”

 _Apparently nothing_. Kyle sounded disgusted.

“So you like John, right?” Laura doggedly got back to her initial line of questioning. “Because I get a pretty good vibe off him and I think he likes you too.”

“Do you mind? I’m trying to work.”

“I could put in a good word for you.”

Rodney lost his patience, and he’d been trying _really_ hard not to. Unfortunately, the clear blue skies thing only seemed to really work when John said it.

“Put in a good word? I’m not some charity case, you know! I can take care of these things myself. And not that it’s any of your business, but yes. I like John. I like John a lot. Judging by the amount of very vigorous sex we’ve been having, I’m pretty sure he knows it.” Rodney shook a finger at Laura, who had her hand pressed to her mouth. Her eyes were wide as saucers. “I would appreciate it if you’d stop gossiping, especially about John. I don’t think he’d appreciate it. And keep this to yourself, if that’s even possible for you.”

He’d built up a good head of steam by then, and could’ve expanded even more on Laura’s faults as a secret-keeper and busy-body. But then he became aware of Ronon’s booming laugh coming across the earpiece and anything else he might’ve said died in his throat.

Rodney shot Laura a panicked look, but she still had her hand clamped across her mouth. She was shaking her head and clearly trying not to laugh, though her eyes were overflowing with tears.

_Um…Rodney?_

Oh, no. John. Without even thinking, Rodney pulled his earpiece off and threw it, horrified. He’d left the open channel on! John had heard everything. They all had. Rodney was ruined. Humiliated. And probably single. Again.

“Rodney,” Laura managed to gasp out. “Wait.”

But Rodney wasn’t interested in waiting. He stomped off, away from base camp, with only his headlamp to light his way. God, why had he let Laura get to him? He knew how she could be. He should’ve kept his mouth shut. 

This thing with John – they hadn’t put a name on it, not yet anyway – was so good. John didn’t seem to mind when Rodney lost his patience or got snarky or argued with Kyle. In fact, he seemed to enjoy it, which was a little weird. But Rodney wasn’t complaining, not when he got to tumble into bed with sexy, smart, funny John Sheppard on a regular basis. He wasn’t even sure the others knew John was gay. Well, they sure as hell did now.

As Rodney moved deeper into Hoosier National Forest he imagined the different ways John might choose to call things off between them. Would he be angry enough to actually punch Rodney? Or would he just be disappointed, and give him the let’s-be-friends speech? Rodney would almost prefer the punch. What if they couldn’t work together anymore? He had seniority, if such a thing even counted, but Kyle clearly liked John better.

There was a sudden flash of movement in Rodney’s peripheral vision, and it snapped him out of his dark thoughts. He spun around, but couldn’t see anything except trees and more trees. With a sinking feeling he realized he had no idea where he was. He reached automatically for his radio before remembering he’d thrown it away. Stupid!

The snap of a branch, so loud it sounded like a gunshot, had Rodney’s heart pounding in his chest. The headlamp didn’t offer much illumination, and anything could be hiding in the shadows just beyond that small pool of light. Hopefully whatever was making noise out there was one of the smaller nocturnal animals, like a possum or a raccoon or something. Rodney felt he could hold his own against something small, unless it was rabid. Had there been any signs posted about rabid animals? He couldn’t remember.

A rustling noise now, and it didn’t sound small. It sounded exactly opposite of small. Rodney looked around, trying to determine which direction he’d come from so he could go back that way. He wasn’t exactly stealthy, so there should be some sign. He couldn’t find it.

Something moved through the air just above Rodney’s head. He could feel the push of air, could smell something musky and foul. The hell with finding his trail. He was getting out of there.

Rodney ran, the light from the headlamp bobbing. He stumbled a couple of times on the uneven terrain but he kept going. He almost sobbed in relief when he heard his name being shouted. The team was looking for him!

“I’m here!” he shouted back.

Seconds later something heavy knocked against his back, shoving him forward. Before he even had a chance to put his arms out he bounced off a tree, the side of his head cracking against the bark. Rodney dropped to his knees, dazed. He was only vaguely aware of a looming shape swooping through the air, heading right for him. He toppled over before it got there, everything fading to black.

*o*o*o*

Rodney’s head was throbbing. But Laura was the one with the headache. Wasn’t that right? He tried to put his hand to his head but someone gently pushed it back down.

“Easy does it, buddy.”

John was there. But John was mad, Rodney was pretty sure about that. He just couldn’t remember why.

“Are you mad?” he asked. He blinked open his eyes, looking for John’s face, but there was too much light and it just made his head hurt worse. “Ow.”

“Mad at you for running around the woods at night by yourself? Yeah.”

“Oh. Sorry.”

“Don’t do it again.” John leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss to Rodney’s lips. Rodney tried to grab hold of him and bring him closer, but was thwarted by Ronon.

“Save that mushy stuff for later,” he said. “What happened, McKay?”

“Something knocked me into a tree.” Rodney’s mind was starting to clear. “I don’t know what.”

“That figures,” Kyle grumbled from somewhere nearby; Rodney didn’t have the best view from flat on his back. “Kyle to base camp. Is there anything at all on the cameras? Yes, he’s fine. What about the cameras?”

It was strange to hear the one-sided conversation, but it helped Rodney remember that he’d lost his earpiece. Well, flung it like a petulant child would’ve been a more apt description. He also remembered why John might be mad, though that kiss where everyone could see certainly seemed to indicate that maybe he wasn’t that put out after all.

“We should get you to the hospital,” Ronon said. “You probably have a concussion, and you’ve lost a lot of blood.”

“Head wounds are always a mess.” John’s calm tone was belied by the anxiousness Rodney could read on his face. “Do you think it’s okay to move him?”

“Easier than trying to get EMTs in here. Can you sit up, McKay? Nice and easy, now.”

With Ronon’s and John’s help, Rodney pushed into a seated position, his head spinning just a bit as he did so. His back hurt, too, up high by his shoulder blades. He wouldn’t be surprised to have a bruise there.

“Nothing at all?” Kyle asked, still talking to Laura. “How the hell did we miss something big enough to throw Rodney into a tree?”

“How you doing, McKay?” Evan hovered nearby, filming the moment for MU posterity.

“He’s fine,” John replied. “You’re fine, right?”

“Peachy.” Rodney let Ronon haul him to his feet, glad he had a firm grip on the man’s arm when everything tried to tilt and slide to the left.

“Whoa, there.” John was at Rodney’s side in an instant, helping Ronon keep him steady. 

“Maybe one of the trap cameras caught something,” Kyle said. He gave Rodney a thumbs up. “We can check later. Start packing up, we’re heading in.”

“Just hang on to me.” John slid his arm around Rodney’s waist. “We’ll take it nice and slow.”

“You got this?” Ronon asked John. When John nodded, so did he. “I’m going ahead. If he gets worse radio me.”

“Should you even be moving me?” Rodney grumbled. “What if I have a brain bleed or something? This’ll just make it worse.”

“You’re fine,” John insisted. He got Rodney moving, one unsteady step at a time.

“I’m sorry,” Rodney said. “I didn’t mean to spill the beans.”

“Well, it’s not how I’d have chosen to tell everyone, but you get extra points for being so angry about it.”

“If you were dating you, you’d want everyone to know.”

John chuckled. “You really did muddle your brains.”

“But you still love me, right?” And, whoops. Where had _that_ come from? Jesus, he really needed to get to the hospital.

“You know what? I do.” John gave him a little squeeze.

Rodney grinned. Maybe later he’d have to blame the concussion, but for the moment he was going to revel in the fact that John basically told Rodney he loved him. 

“Fuck you, thunderbird!” he shouted at the sky. The only response he got was John’s laughter.

**Author's Note:**

>  **AN:** So, couple of things. Derek Barnes was borrowed from _Freakylinks_ , which was a show I loved that only got one season and so far no DVD release, which makes me sadder than sad. Also, there is no town named Saffron in Indiana. But I have it on good authority that there is a woman with that name who lives there. ::grins::


End file.
